Domain settings in Shopify control the web address customers see and how a store connects to the wider internet. From the Shopify admin, a merchant can buy or connect a custom domain, set which domain is primary, edit DNS records, add subdomains, and point country-specific domains at different markets. This guide walks through each of those tasks with the current steps.

The core things domain settings let a store do:

Add a custom domain — bought through Shopify or connected from another registrar.
Set a primary domain that all other domains redirect to.
Edit DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT) for the domain.
Add subdomains such as shop.example.com or blog.example.com.
Assign country or region domains to markets for international selling.

Where to find domain settings

Everything lives in one place. From the Shopify admin, open Settings (bottom-left of the dashboard), then click Domains. The Domains page lists any connected domains and provides the controls to add, connect, transfer, and configure them.

Adding a custom domain

A custom domain — a store's own address rather than the default your-store.myshopify.com — makes a store look established and easier to remember. There are three routes:

Buy through Shopify. On the Domains page, choose Buy new domain, search for a name, and purchase it. A domain bought this way is configured automatically, with nothing to set up manually.
Connect an existing domain. Keep the domain at its current registrar and point it at Shopify (covered below).
Transfer a domain. Move a domain's registration to Shopify so it is managed entirely from the admin, using the Transfer domain option and following the prompts.

Connecting a third-party domain

To connect a domain registered elsewhere, open Settings > Domains, click Connect existing domain, and enter the domain name. From there the connection is either automatic or manual, depending on the registrar.

Automatic connection

Some registrars support a one-click automatic connection: after entering the domain, choose the automatic option and sign in to the registrar account when prompted, and Shopify configures the records. Because the list of supported registrars changes over time, the Domains page shows whether automatic connection is available for a given domain; if it is not, the manual method below applies.

Manual connection

Connecting manually means editing the domain's DNS records at the registrar to point to Shopify. Two records do the work:

A record: point the root domain (@) to Shopify's IP address, 23.227.38.65.
CNAME record: point www to shops.myshopify.com.

After saving those at the registrar, return to Shopify and click Verify connection. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, after which the domain shows a Connected status.

Setting the primary domain

The primary domain is the address shown in the browser bar and used across the store. To change it, open the domain on the Domains page, choose Change domain type, and set it as the primary domain. Once set, every other connected domain and the default myshopify.com address automatically redirects to it, which keeps the store on one consistent URL and avoids splitting search signals across addresses.

Editing DNS settings

DNS records determine how a domain resolves and which services it connects to. For a Shopify-managed domain, records are edited under Settings > Domains by selecting the domain and opening its DNS settings. The records that come up most often:

A record — points a domain to an IP address.
CNAME record — points a domain or subdomain to another domain name.
MX record — routes email to a mail provider, needed when using custom email on the domain.
TXT record — used for verification, such as confirming domain ownership for email or other services.

Adding subdomains

Subdomains organize parts of a site under the main domain — for example shop.example.com for a store or blog.example.com for content. For a Shopify-managed domain, subdomains are added directly in the admin. For a third-party domain, the subdomain is created at the registrar and then pointed to Shopify with a CNAME record.

International domains and markets

Stores selling across regions can give each market its own domain — for example example.co.uk for the UK or example.fr for France — which helps localize the experience and can support region-specific search. These are configured under Settings > Markets: add a market for the target region, assign a domain (bought or connected) to it, and set the market's language and currency. Country-code domains signal a local presence and let shoppers see prices and content suited to their region.

Tips and troubleshooting

Allow time to propagate. After connecting a domain or changing DNS, verification and propagation can take up to 48 hours, so a domain not connecting immediately is usually normal.
SSL is automatic. Shopify issues a TLS/SSL certificate for connected domains at no cost, so the store loads over a secure https connection once the domain is verified.
Check the status. A correctly connected domain shows Connected on the Domains page; if it doesn't after 48 hours, re-check the A and CNAME records at the registrar.

Frequently asked questions

Where are domain settings in Shopify?

In the Shopify admin, go to Settings (bottom-left) and click Domains. That page holds every domain control — connecting a domain, setting the primary domain, editing DNS, and adding subdomains.

How do you set up a domain in Shopify?

Either buy a domain through Shopify (Domains > Buy new domain), which configures automatically, or connect one from another registrar (Domains > Connect existing domain) by pointing its A record to 23.227.38.65 and its www CNAME to shops.myshopify.com. A domain can also be transferred to Shopify to manage it entirely from the admin.

How long does it take for a Shopify domain to connect?

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate. Until then a newly connected domain may show as pending; once propagation completes and Shopify verifies it, the status changes to Connected and SSL is issued automatically.

Can you use a custom email address with a Shopify domain?

Shopify domains support email forwarding, and for full mailboxes a third-party email provider is connected by adding the provider's MX records in the domain's DNS settings. Setting up those records is done in the same DNS area of the Domains page.

The bottom line

Configuring domain settings in Shopify comes down to a handful of tasks in one place: add or connect a domain, set it as primary, edit DNS records where needed, and assign regional domains to markets for international selling. Most of it is point-and-click, and the main thing to expect is the up-to-48-hour propagation window before a newly connected domain goes live.

First Pier is an ecommerce agency in Portland, Maine that builds and optimizes Shopify and Shopify Plus storefronts. For help with domain setup, migration, or a store build, get in touch.